1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to wheels used with motor vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to wheels having rims that contact a larger portion of a tire.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the last fifty years, three major innovations have significantly changed tire technology. The three changes include switching to radial ply construction, the enhanced usability of tubeless tires, and popularization of tires with lower aspect ratios than those historically used.
Tires that utilize radial ply construction have a single-ply carcass made of radially oriented cords reinforced by steel cord belts located under the tread. Tubeless tires, in which the inner tube has been eliminated, are capable of creating a seal when mounted on a wheel. And the lowering of the aspect ratio of the tire, or the ratio of sidewall height to the width of the tire, has optimized overall performance of radial tires and enhanced car styling. The result of such innovations has been a radial tire with remarkable durability, low fuel consumption, and excellent handling characteristics.
Radial tires are, however, still affected by inconveniences. For example, low aspect ratio tires feature a low sidewall height and as a result offer unsatisfactory vertical elasticity, i.e., poor road conditions are transferred directly to the motor vehicle from the tire through the wheel assembly. Current radial tires also generate road noise through unwanted vibrations that are created by the repetitive deformation of a heavy tread supported by a soft carcass. In addition, tire roll-off, that is, the unseating of tires when taking sharp turns or under severe cornering forces, is still a significant problem.
Flat tires are another major inconvenience that affects radial tires. It is estimated that 70,000 flat tire incidents per day occur in the United States of America. Common causes of flat tires include puncture by a foreign object, reckless driving, tire failure, hitting a curb, a defective air valve, an unseated tire bead, rim leak, and running over an obstacle or through a pothole. Although many run flat systems have been developed over the years, none of these systems have been substantially utilized within the global automotive industry. Thus, there is a need for a solution to the foregoing inconveniences present in radial tires.
A wheel assembly provides a mount for a pneumatic tire having two tire beads. The wheel assembly includes a disk defining a hub receiving center and an outer peripheral edge. The wheel assembly also includes a rim that is fixedly secured to the outer peripheral edge. The rim has first and second tire seat surfaces and a wheel well separating the first and second tire seat surfaces. First and second rim flanges are secured to the first and second tire seat surfaces, respectively, such that each of the first and second rim flanges extend out from each of the first and second tire seat surfaces at an angle less than or equal to thirty degrees.